Accordion doors



Aug. 6, 1957 R. H. ENSIGN ET AL 2,801,637

ACCORDION DOORS Filed Dec. 29, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 D C C'Z Z Z w g- 1957 R. H. ENSIGN ET AL 2,801,687

ACCORDION DOORS 5 .Don C. Wolf alga Aug. 6, 1957 R. H. ENSIGN ET AL 2,801,637

ACCORDION DOORS Filed flee. 29, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Roberidlfinsign Dan 6. L flollowa y @ffigys.

Aug. 6, 1957 R. H. ENSIGN ET AL 2,801,687

ACCORDION DOORS Filed Dec. 29, 1955' v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ram rlpllrllrllrrlil United States Patent ACCORDION DOORS Robert H. Ensign, Bronxville, N. Y., and Don C. Holloway, Janesville, Wis., assignors to Hough Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 29, 1955, Serial No. 556,272

14 Claims. (Cl. 160-84) This invention relates to accordion type folding doors and particularly to such doors where foldable outer coverings are removably secured on the supporting elements of the door.

Accordion type folding doors are utilized in most instances as closures for wall or door openings of conventional sizes, but in many instances such doors may be utilized in relatively large or wide door openings, or as foldable partitions for dividing large rooms into smaller separated units.

Accordion doors of the aforesaid character conventionally embody spaced vertical posts suspended from an overhead track and interconnected by lazytong means to provide for approaching and separating movements of the posts, and the opposite side faces of the door are afforded by foldable covers that extend between the two edge posts and are connected at spaced intermediate points on the lazytongs so as to conceal the lazytongs and at the same time provide the outer or finished door surfaces.

The primary object of the present invention is to simplify and reduce the cost of manufacture and installation of accordion type folding doors of the aforesaid character, and related objects are to improve the appearance of such doors and to enable the door coverings to be readily put in position on or removed from the supporting mechanism of the door.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to enable door coverings of the accordion type doors to be put in place or removed from the supporting frame without the use of tools, and to enable this to be accomplished after the door posts and the supporting mechanism have been installed in their position of use. Other and related objects of the invention are to simplify the attainment of an attractive finished appearance in the movable door post of such a door and to accomplish this in such a way that the edges of the door coverings that are attached to such movable door post are protected against damage that might otherwise result from the grasping of the door post in opening and closing the door.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof, and What we now consider to be the best mode in which we have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side or face elevational view of a folding accordion type door embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 1 and illustrating the mounted frame work of the folding door with the covers removed;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal plan view of the door;

Patented Aug. 6, 1957 Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 3;.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the movable post of the door and the manner in which it is associated with the supporting track;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 6 and illustrating the manner of association of the movable post with the overhead track and with one of the arms of the lazytongs;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 and showing the manner in which the sliding link is associated with the post;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating an intermediate suspension means for the lazytongs;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 10--10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the way in which the stationary door post is associated with the overhead track; and

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 1212 of Fig. 11.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in an accordion type folding door 20 that is mounted in a door opening 211 formed in a wall A. The door opening is defined by an upper frame member 21U and side frame members 218, and the door 20 is suspended from an overhead track 22 secured as by screws 122 to the upper door frame member 21U. The door 20 as herein illustrated comprises a fixed vertical post 23 that is secured as by screws 24 to the right-hand side frame member 218, and a movable door post 25 that is connected to the fixed door post 23 by a plurality of lazytongs 26 and 27 that are folded together or are lengthened during approaching and separating movements of these posts, and movable door post 25 is suspended from the overhead track 22 by means including a carriage 28. The upper lazytongs 26 is in the present instance supported from the track 22 at an intermediate point by an intermediate carriage 29, thus to impart added weight supporting capabilities to the lazytongs 26. The posts 23 and 25 and the connecting lazytongs 26 and 27 comprise the primary frame elements of the door, and these primary frame elements under the present invention may be installed and may thereafter be covered or concealed by the mounting on opposite sides of these frame elements of a pair of outer covers 31 that are detachably connected to the post 23 and 25 and which are also detachably connected at spaced points to the respective lazytongs 26 and 27 so that the lazytongs will act to fold the covers 31 evenly and with a uniform fold spacing in an accordion-like relationship as the door 20 is moved to its open position.

The lazytongs 26 and 27 are identical in construction and relation, and while only two lazytongs are employed in the embodiment illustrated herein, it will be recognized that in exceptionally high doors, it may be desirable to employ additional lazytongs to insure proper strength and operation of the door. Furthermore, the lower lazyt-ongs 27 may be inverted in short doors to improve the visual appearance of the door as will become apparent. The lazytongs comprise pairs of links 33 and 34 that are pivoted together at their midpoints by pivot pins 35 with a spacing washer surrounding the pins 35 between the links. These pairs of links 33 and 34 are in turn pivoted to each other as will be evident in Fig. 2 of the drawings by upper and lower pivot pins 36 and 37. The upper pins 36 are in effect arranged in a longitudinal row, and the same is true with respect to' the several lower pins 37.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the lazytongs 26 and 27 function first to cause even spacing of the folds of the covers 31, and second, as pantographs to maintain the posts 23 and 25 in parallel relation. Where both of these functions are desired, the lazytongs are connected at their opposite ends of the lazytongs to the respective posts 23 and 25 by a combination of pivotal and sliding connections which provide for maintaining the door posts in parallel relationship during approaching and separating movements thereof. Thus the upper ends of the end links are provided with pivot pins 136 which connect these ends with brackets 236 that are secured respectively to the posts 23 and 25 as will be described. Generally, similar brackets 237 are provided on and within each of the posts 23 and 25 to afford a vertically slidable mounting for guide pins 137 that are fixed in the lower ends of the two end links of the lazytongs. The brackets 237 have longitudinal slots 137$ formed therein so that the guide pins 137 may move longitudinally of these slots. Where the pantograph action of one or both of the lazytongs is not essential, the sliding connections alforded by the pins 137 may be eliminated, and the lazytongs will still retain their cover or fold spacing function.

With this arrangement it will be evident that the upper line of pivot pins 36 and 136 are maintained in a fixed horizontal plane during the opening and closing movement of the door, and these pins as of the upper row are therefore utilized to afford intermediate support for the covers 31. The pins 36 may therefore be termed support pins, and the specific structure thereof, and the specific way in which these pins are associated with the covers 31 will be described in detail hereinafter.

The posts 23 and 25 are of the same general cross sectional form as will be evident in Fig. 3, and as there shown, each of these posts is generally channel-shaped in form to provide an end face or web 125, side walls 1258 and inturned strengthening flanges lZSF at the free edges of the side walls 1258.

The brackets 236 and 237 for each lazytongs are in the present instance formed from a single strip of relatively heavy sheet metal, the central portion 236A of which is adapted to be positioned against the inner surface of one of the side walls 1253, and with angular portions 236B and 237B extending from this central portion and having end portions 236C and 237C that are parallel to the central portion and which are disposed substantially midway between the two side walls 1258, to provide the brackets 236 and 237, as will be evident in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. The central attaching portion 236A of the metal strip engages the inner surface of the left-hand side wall 1258, and has spaced depressed attaching openings 236D therein so that screws 2365 may be extended through the side wall and threaded into the attaching portion 236A, thus to secure the attaching portion 236A firmly against the inner surface of the side wall 125$. Preferably the width of this attaching portion 236A is such that its opposite edges engage the web and the flange respectively of the post, thus to enable the bracket to be secured in a fixed position through the use of relatively small attaching screws. The upper end portion 236C provides the connection for the pivot pin 136 which is preferably in the form of a rivet, and a washer 236E is located between the bracket and the link to assure freedom of movement of the link. As to the bracket 237, a similar form and mounting is employed with the exception however that the upper or centered end portion 237C is somewhat longer and has the slot 137$ formed therein. About the pin l37 and on opposite sides of the portion 237C, washers 337 of a plastic such as nylon are provided to assure easy and noiseless movement of the pin 137 and the link 34-.

In supporting the posts from the overhead track 22, the wheeled carriage 28 is provided with a mounting bracket 128 that surrounds a part of the body of the carriage and is made from sheet metal. The sheet metal of the bracket 128 extends downwardly in double thick- 4 ness and then diverges as at 1281), Fig. 7, so that lower end ears 128E may be placed against the inner faces of the side walls 1258 of the post 25. The ears 128E have countersunk screw openings 128C formed therein as by stamping so that screws 22? may be extended through the walls 1258 and into a flush relationship wherein the screw threaded end thereof engages the countersunk portion 128C. This fixes the bracket 128 securely to the post.

As herein shown the carriage 28 is afforded by a longitudinal pin 1281 that passes through a pair of blocks 128B that are disposed in alignment with the sleeve-like embracing portion 1288 of the bracket 128. The blocks 128B have laterally projecting axles formed thereon upon which a pair of wheels W are disposed on opposite sides of each of the blocks 128B.

The wheels W are arranged to run in guiding grooves that are formed internally in the overhead track 22, and as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings it will be evident that this track 22 is formed from sheet metal in a generally channel-like form to provide an upper web 22W, downwardly extending side walls 225 and inturned groove-like track elements 22T in which the respective wheels W are arranged to run. Preferably, a felt strip 222 is .adhered to the upper face of the web 22W to bear against the upper door frame 21U. Near one end of the track elements 22T the inner edge portion of the track may be struck upwardly and inwardly to a slight extent as shown at 122T in Fig. 6 so as to form an abutment against which one of the wheels W may hear so as to tend to retard movement of these wheels along the track in a door-opening direction. Thus the abutments 122T may serve the function of a latch in those instances where positive retention .of the door in its closed position is considered unnecessary.

The intermediate supporting means 29 is best shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings wherein it will be evident that wheels W are secured on projecting journals formed on opposite sides of a supporting block 129B so that these wheels may run in the track portions 22T of the overhead track. The block 129B has a vertical screwthreaded opening formed therein in which the threaded upper end of a supporting stem 229 is secured, and the lower end .of this stem 229 has a flattened portion 329 with an opening therethrough and such opening surrounds one of the upper or support pins 36 of the upper lazytongs 26. The flattened portion 329 thus serves as a washer between the connected links 33 and 34. Thus the position of the block 1293 on the stem 229 may be adjusted as required during the installation of the door so that desired supporting action may be attained in respect to the intermediate portion of the lazytongs 26.

The present embodiment of the door 20 is one in which the post 23 is maintained in a fixed or anchored relationship, but it will be evident that in some instances the upper portion of the post 23 may be supported by a carriage 28 so that in such an instance both edges of the door would be movable, or in other words, the .door could be opened in either direction, In the form herein shown however the post 23 constitutes an anchor post and the anchor post is properly located with respect to the overhead track 22 through the use of a supporting and locking bracket 38 that is best shown in Figs. 2, 11 and 12. The bracket 38 is made from sheet metal to provide a relatively wide vertical attaching portion 138 having a depressed mounting opening 138C so that a screw 139 may be extended through the web of the post 23 and into the screw receiving element 138C, as shown in Figs. '11 and 12. Above the upper end of the post 23, the portion 138 of the bracket 38 is reduced in width as shown in 138R to provide a narrow neck 138N of a width corresponding to the space between the adjacent edges of the tracks 22T as will be evident in Fig. 11, and at the upper end of the neck 138N, the bracket is bent to provide a horizontal flange 238 that is of a width greater than the width of the neck I38N so that the flange 238 may rest upon the adjacent edges of the tracks 22T as shown in Fig. 11.

The movable post 25 is, under the present invention, provided with an edge or facing strip 40 that is channellike in form with overhanging flanges 40F which define a relatively wide and shallow undercut groove in what may be termed the exposed face of the edge strip. The edge strip 40 is secured to the web 125 of the movable post 25 by means such as rivets 41, Fig. 6, and the undercut groove that is formed in the edge strip is utilized to mount an elongated resilient bumper strip 42 that has an anchoring portion located within the undercut groove and frictionally held in place therein. The bumper ship 42 is made from a resilient material such as plastic or rubber and has a hollow central rib portion centered longitudinally thereof, and this rib projects beyond the opening or slot of the undercut groove to thus provide a projecting resilient bumper to engage the frame member 218- of the door frame.

If desired, a handle 43 may be secured on opposite sides of the movable post 25 as by screws 44 as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and in certain instances this handle may form a part of a latch mechanism that forms no part of the present invention.

The covers 31 of the door 20 are formed by a series of interconnected and alternately arranged wide slats 45 and narrow pivot slats 46 as will be evident in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and these slats are formed from a relatively stiff material such as dense cardboard and are interconnected in a pivotal relationship by inner and outer cover sheets 47 and 48 that are adhesively secured to the faces of the respective slats and to each other in the spaces between the slats. In most instances the inner covering sheet may be a relatively inexpensive material while the outer covering sheet 48 may be made of a heavier and more attractive material such as a plastic that may of course have a pebble finish or other patterned finish as desired.

Each cover 45 terminates in an end slat 146 that has a width substantially equal to the width of the side wall 1258 of the post to which it is to be attached, and these end slats 146 are removably secured against the outer faces of the side walls 1258 as will hereinafter be described. When the end slats 146 that are associated with the movable post 25. are in their connected relationship with such movable post, the end edge of each end slat 146 is in effect protected and concealed by a projecting side edge portion of the edge strip 40 as will be evident in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The width of the edge strip 40 is such that its edge surfaces are located substantially in the planes of the outer faces of the edge strips 146, and these edge strips abut the adjacent surfaces of the edge strip 40.

Under the present invention the supporting pins 36 are arranged for direct connection with alternate pivot slats 46 of the respective covers 31 and this connection is afforded by snap fastener means carried in part by the covers 31 and formed in part on the projecting ends of the support pins 36.. Under the present invention the cooperating snap fastener elements are so formed and related to each other that rocking movement of the slats 46, relative to the support pins 36 is limited, thereby to prevent the inadvertent disengagement of the snap fastener elements by which the covers 31 are supported on the support pins 36.

In providing for the simple and convenient support of the covers on the support pins 36, a particular form of female snap fastener elements 51 is employed, but it should be pointed out that such female snap fastener elements 51 are actually commercially available devices. Thus, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, each female snap fastener element 51 comprises a sleeve-like metallic member 52 that is extended through the pivot slat 46 to position an enlarged integral head 53 on the outside of the outside cover 48 while positioning an internal retain- 6 ing flange 54 on the inside surface of the inside cover sheet 47. The external head 53 of the snap fastener has a decorative outer covering head 55, as will be evident in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the color and texture of this covering head 55 may be related to or coordinated with the texture and coloring of the outer cover sheet 48. Under the present invention it will be noted that the internal sheet metal head 53 has an outer transverse wall 153 in which a central opening 253 of relatively small diameter is provided, and this opening 253 serves an important function in the present mounting structure as will become apparent hereinafter.

The support pins 36 are arranged so as to serve not only as pivotal connections for the adjacent ends of links 33 and 34, but are also arranged to project axially to provide male snap fastener elements for cooperation with the snap fastener elements 51 that are carried on the covers 31. Thus, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10 of the drawings, each support pin 36 has an elongated cylindrical form with a projecting annular flange 58 thereon, and a link such as the link 33 is positioned with one end of the pin 36 extending through its pivot opening. The other link 34 is located in a similar position and a spacing washer 59 is located between the two links. A washer 60 is positioned on the other side of the link 34 and a retaining means such as a spring retainer 61 is forced into place so as to hold the two links and washers in an assembled relationship and against the locating flange 53. It will be noted that the locating flange 58 is so positioned that the pin 36 projects in an equal amount on both sides of the link assembly.

At the opposite ends of the pin 36, fastening heads 136 are formed and this is done by forming relatively wide grooves 63 in the body of the pin 36 so that such heads 136 constitute male snap fastener elements. In the present instance the heads 136 have their rear faces or surfaces formed as square shoulders, since it has been found that this aids in producing a firm snap engagement of the fasteners 51 with the heads 136.

In the use and operation of doors of this character, forces may be applied in the covers 31 that tend to rock the pivot slats 46 about a vertical axis, and this tends to cause disengagement of the elements of the snap fasteners. Under the present invention however such undesired disengagement of the snap fastener elements is prevented by providing axially extending pin-like members 326 at the outer end of each of the heads 136, and these pin-like members 326 are so located and are of such a diameter that they extend into the openings 253 that are formed in the internal structures of the female snap fastener 51. While there is an appreciable space between the pin-like members 326 and the sides of the opening 253, this spacing is maintained sutficiently small to prevent appreciable rocking of the pivot slats 46. Hence, inadvertent disengagement of the snap fastener elements is prevented, and yet by applying forces axially of the support pins 36, the snap fasteners may be readily disengaged when it is desired to remove the covers 31 from the frame structure of the door.

As herein shown the lower lazytongs 27 are located with the support pins 36 at the upper edge of the lazytongs, but if desired, the lazytongs 27 may be inverted so that the pins 36 are along the lower edge of the assembly. This serves to locate the female snap fasteners 51 closer to the lower edges of the covers 31, and on very short doors has been found to produce a more pleasing and balanced appearance.

The end slats 146 of the covers 31 are also removably secured to the posts 23 and 25 with which they are associated, and this is accomplished by a plurality of fastening elements of the kind illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Thus a plurality of openings 64 are formed in the slats 146 at vertically spaced points and in alignment with openings 65 that are formed .in the side members of the posts. When the several snap fasteners 51 of the covers 31 have been associated with the support pins 36, the end slats 146 are put in place against the side faces .of the .posts with the openings 64 aligned with the openings .65. At each such pair of aligned openings, a flanged ferrule 66 is inserted through such openings. Near its inner end, each ferrule 66 has its internal surfaces 66C formed as cam surfaces that project inwardly toward the axis of the central bore of the ferrule, and the inner end of the ferrule is diametrically slotted at 665, thus to divide the inner end into a plurality of fingers 66A that may be bent outwardly by the pin 67, as will be described. The headed pin 67 is inserted through the ferrule so that a cam surface 670 formed on the inner end of the pin 67 will engage the internal cam surfaces 66C near the inner end of the ferrule so as to bend the inner end portions of the ferrule to a diverging relationship wherein the retaining fingers 66A are engaged with the inner surface of the side wall 12.58 as shown in Fig. 5. This retains the parts in the desired assembled relationship. it will be ob served however that the head 67H of the pin 67 is exposed and is of a diameter somewhat larger than the flange of the ferrule 66, and this enables the pin 67 to be withdrawn when this is desired, thereby to enable the ferrule to be removed, thus to detach the end slat 146 from the post to which it has been attached.

With respect to the mounting and disrnounting of the covers 31 it should be noted that the handles 43 are ordinarily fixed in position on the movable post 25 outside of the related cnd slat lee, so that these handles 43 must be removed before the covers 31 may be dismounted from the supporting frame elements of the door.

It is found that in doors of the structure illustrated and described herein, the stiff characteristics of the several slats of the covers 31 and the interconnection thereof with the opposite end posts and with the lazytongs serve to impart to the door what may be termed a double pantograph action. In other words, where the lazytongs 26 and 27 have both pivoted and sliding connections with the end posts they function with a pantograph action in the vertical plane of the door, while the interaction of the stiff accordion-like slats of the covers with the supporting and mounting means serves to impart what may be termed a horizontal pantograph action to the door. This horizontal pantograph action tends to materially limit any lateral swinging movement that might be applied to the lower end portions of the movable post 25, and hence with doors constructed in accordance with the present invention, the opening and closing forces may be applied to the movable post of the door at substantially any point throughout the vertical length thereof.

The horizontal pantograph action of the covers .31 that is thus attained has been found to be so effective that substantial parallelism of the door posts 23 and 25 may be maintained without resort to the pantograph function of the lazytongs, and hence the sliding connections of the lazytongs may in many instances be eliminated with a corersponding reduction in operating friction and a corresponding reduction in cost.

The novel manner in which the covers 31 are detachably secured to the supporting elements of the door serves materially to simplify the installation and maintainance of doors of this general character, and a user may readily remove the covers and may replace the same as desired. The present invention however insures that such covers will not be inadvertently detached from the supporting elements of the door.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention simplifies and reduces the cost of manufacture and installation of accordion-type folding doors, and it will also be evident that this invention affords a removably mounted cover for such doors that is not only attractive in appearance but which may be economically manufactured and installed. It will also be evident that the present invention affords an accordion door construction wherein an attractive finished appearance is afforded throughout all of the elements of the door, and particularly that an attractive and finished appearance is attained in the movable door post in a simple and effective way that protects the adjacent edge portions of the covers against damage and inadvertent displacement.

Thus, while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim: 7

1. In an accordion door, a pair of posts for defining the edges of the door, lazytongs operatively connecting said posts, foldable covers on opposite sides of the door secured at their vertical edges to opposite faces of said posts, male snap fastener elements carried by said lazytongs, and female snap fastener elements at spaced points on said covers engaged with the respective male snap fastener elements to support said covers on said lazytongs.

2. In an accordion door, a pair of posts for defining the edges of the door, lazytongs connecting said posts, foldable covers on opposite sides of the door detachably secured at their vertical edges to opposite faces of said posts, interengaged male and female snap fastener elements mounted respectively on said lazytongs and said covers, and coacting means on said male and female elements operable to limit rocking movement of said female elements on and with respect to said male snap fastener elements.

3. In an accordion door, a pair of posts for defining the edges of the door, lazytongs connecting said posts, and snap fastener elements carried on said lazytongs for cooperation with complemental snap fastener elements of a cover to support such a cover on said lazytongs.

4. In an accordion door, a pair of posts for defining the edges of the door, lazytongs connecting said posts, said lazytongs including pivot 'pins certain of which project substantially beyond the opposite faces of said lazytongs, and male snap fastener elements formed on the ends of the projecting pivot pins.

5. In an accordion type door, a pair of posts for defining the opposite edges of the door, upper and lower lazytongs connecting said posts for relative approaching and separating movements, said lazytongs including horizontal pivot pins certain of which constitute support pins projecting in opposite directions from said lazytongs, said support pins having grooves spaced'from the ends thereof and defining attaching heads at the opposite ends of said support pins, said heads having short axially projecting members of reduced size at their outer ends, covers for opposite sides of said door comprising alternate wide slats and narrow pivot slats pivotally joined together by fabric covering sheets adhered thereto, female snap fasteners fixed in alternate ones of said pivot slats in position for engagement with attaching heads to support said covers removably on said lazytongs, said female snap fasteners each having an internal opening of reduced size arranged to receive said axially projecting members of said heads to limit rocking movement of said fasteners on said heads, and means for detachably securing the end pivot slats of said covers to said posts.

6. ln an accordion type door, a pair of posts for defining the opposite edges of the door, upper and lower lazytongs connecting said posts for relative approaching and separating movements, said lazytongs including horizontal pivot pins certain of which constitute support pins projecting in opposite directions from said lazytongs, said support pins having grooves spaced from the ends thereof and defining attaching heads at the opposite ends of said support pins, covers for opposite sides of said door comprising alternate wide slats and narrow pivot slats pivotally joined together by fabric covering sheets adhered thereto, female snap fasteners fixed in alternate ones of said pivot slats in position for engagement with attaching heads to support said covers removably on said lazytongs, and means for detachably securing the end pivot slats of said covers to said posts.

7. In an accordion type door, a pair of posts for de/ fining the opposite edges of the door, upper and lower lazytongs connecting said posts for relative approaching and separating movements, said lazytongs including horizontal pivot pins certain of which constitute support pins projecting in opposite directions from said lazytongs, said support pins having grooves spaced from the ends thereof and defining attaching heads at the opposite ends of said support pins, said heads having short axially projecting members of reduced size at their outer ends, covers for opposite sides of said door comprising alternate wide slats and narrow pivot slats pivotally joined together by fabric covering sheets adhered thereto, female snap fasteners fixed in alternate ones of said pivot slats in position for engagement with attaching heads to support said covers removably on said lazytongs, said female snap fasteners each having an internal opening of reduced size arranged to receive said axially projecting members of said heads to limit rocking movement of said fasteners on said heads, means for detachably securing end pivot slats of said covers to said posts, and an edge plate fixed on one of said posts and extending beyond said post to conceal the adjacent edges of the end pivot slats.

8. In an accordion type door, a pair of posts for defining the opposite edges of the door, upper and lower lazytongs connecting said posts for relative approaching and separating movements, said lazytongs including horizontal pivot pins certain of which constitute support pins projecting in opposite directions from said lazytongs, said support pins having grooves spaced from the ends thereof and defining attaching heads at the opposite ends of said support pins, covers for opposite sides of said door comprising alternate wide slats and narrow pivot slats pivotally joined together by fabric covering sheets adnered thereto, female snap fasteners fixed in alternate ones of said pivot slats in position for engagement with attaching heads to support said covers removably on said lazytongs, said female snap fasteners each having an internal opening of reduced size arranged to receive said axially projecting members of said heads to limit rocking movement of said fasteners on said heads, means for detachably securing end pivot slats of said covers to said posts, and an edge plate fixed on one of said posts and extending beyond said post to conceal the adjacent edges of the end pivot slats.

9. In an accordion type door, a pair of posts for de fining the opposite edges of the door, upper and lower lazytongs connecting said posts for relative approaching and separating movements, said lazytongs including horizontal pivot pins certain of which constitute support pins projecting in opposite directions from said lazytongs, said support pins having grooves spaced from the ends thereof and defining attaching heads at the opposite ends of said support pins, said heads having short axially projecting members of reduced size at their outer ends, covers for opposite sides of said door comprising alternate wide slats and narrow pivot slats pivotally joined together by fabric covering sheets adhered thereto, female snap fasteners fixed in alternate ones of said pivot slats in position for engagement with attaching heads to support said covers removably on said lazytongs, said female snap fasteners each having an internal opening of reduced size arranged to receive said axially projecting members of said heads to limit rocking movement of said fasteners on said heads, expansion rivets securing the end pivot slats of said covers to opposite faces of said posts, and an edge plate fixed on one of said posts and extending beyond the opposite faces of said post to conceal the adjacent edges of the end pivot slats.

10. In a cover for one side of an accordion door, a series of alternate wide slats and narrow pivot slats, inner and outer facing sheets adhered to said slats to pivotally connect the same, and snap fastener elements secured to alternate pivot slats to dispose such fastener elements in operatively accessible locations on the inner face of said cover for cooperation with complemental snap fastener means.

11. A cover for one side of an accordion door, said cover comprising a foldable member adapted to assume an extended relation or a folded relation, and female snap fasteners extended through said member at spaced points to dispose the closed faces of said fasteners on one face of the member and dispose the open faces of the fasteners on the other face of said member for cooperation with complemental male snap fastener means.

12. In an accordion door, a pair of vertical edge posts, lazytong means interconnecting said posts for relative approaching and separating movements thereof, covers on opposite faces of said door operatively supported at spaced points on said lazytongs, and a plurality of detachable anchoring devices connecting edge portions of said covers to said edge posts and each comprising a flanged tubular ferrule extended through said cover and through a side wall of one of said posts, said ferrule having internal cam means at its inner end portions, and a headed expanding pin inserted through said ferrule and effective to bend said portions of said ferrule readily outwardly to maintain said ferrule in position and fasten said cover to said post. i

13. In an accordion door, a pair of hollow edge posts, means interconnecting said edge posts for relatively approaching and separating movements, covers on opposite sides of said door supported at spaced points from said interconnecting means, and a plurality of attaching devices detachably connecting said covers at their edges to said edge posts, each of said devices comprising a tubular ferrule having a flange at its outer end and extended through said covers and through a side wall of one of said hollow posts, and a headed expanding pin extended through said ferrule and maintaining inner portions thereof interlocked with said wall of said post to maintain the cover in position on such post.

14. In an accordion door, an overhead track, a pair of posts defining opposite edges of the door, at least one of said posts being shiftable along said track to open and close the door, a pair of foldable covers each comprising substantially rigid alternate wide and narrow slats pivoted together along their adjacent edges, said covers being secured at their edges to opposite sides of the respective posts so as to extend between said posts on opposite sides thereof, connecting means including separable snap fasteners extended between corresponding alternate narrow slats to space the covers from each other in a predetermined distance, and an intermediate carrier shiftable along said track and connected to one of said connecting means to support intermediate portions of said covers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,749,191 Nordell Mar. 4, 1930 1,878,073 Vansant Sept. 20, 1932 2,220,939 McGuire et a1 Nov. 12, 1940 

